Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-17
WHALING ON THE SOUND.
THE OFF SHORE FISHERY ALONG
THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND.

ne COAOl Of ION0 IOcNNO.
lookout and Signal Poles-A Whale in
sight-Embarking for the Chass-Cspt-
ured and lowed Ashore-Cut Up and
Tried Out for Oil.
The off shore fishery is still an organized in
dustry in Amagansett, Easthampton, Bridg
hampton and Southampton, four villages
and townships forming the extreme eastern
end of Long Island. Walking their foaming
beaches in summer days one sees in some
prominent sand dune tall pole firmly
planted on the sand with cleats nailed upon
It at intervals, SO that it can be easily as
cended. Within sight, perhaps a mile dis
tant, is another, and so the coast is belted
with them from the Hamptons on the west
quite beyond Amagansett. These are thu
"looEouts'' of the whale fishers, and also serve
the same purpose when the menhaden are of
shore in the spring. On a cold, wintry morn
ing some one-a patrolman from the life
saving station perhaps-discovers a school
of whales a mile or two of shore. He at
once climbs tie nearest pole and swings his
jacket as ''weft." Bright eyes are ever
on the watch, and at once huSe fish horn
y,
lazy ponies are harnessed into crazy wagons,
the three boats crews jump in and they are
off on gallop to the beach, followed by all
the able bodied men, WON IN and children Of
the village.
The great whale boats are drawn up on
the sands near the boat house, the latter con-
tanning oars, barpoons, lances the coiled
harpocn line and other implements Of the
Hot, bro ha
down to the marge over which at regular
intervals the breakers throw their carpets Of
foam. The men stand statues1ue by the
side of the boat until the smallest Of the
-''three bre:5lels'' for SO they term the
graded series of waves which form the
ryhth,n of the sea- breaks, when they run the
craft in With a rush and pull out in the lull
bey.;.d the foaming cgests. Once outside
the haic-c surf the boat steerer at the helm
takes a look around for the whales They
are about Il mile out, feeding on the ''britt'
e. minute cea animal of a reddish cast just
beneath ste.surfaee, occasionally coming up
to "spor;:"
TIC l. It steals cautiously on the quarry,
the harr :O.aer in the bow weapon in hand,
wkk, We on the beach watch with bated
breuth he result. It is no easy matter to
approx. Il Il whale under these circumstances.
A gri....ed old veteran, with hands on hips,
indicates some Of the difficulties: "Ef yeou
cum IL, on the side the brute sights We an
makes Off; eff yeou cum up directly in his
wake he senses We in some curious way and
of he goes You'll see the cap'n'll cum up
Quarterin' like"
The boat was very near one OF the largest
of the whales. Presently we saw the from
fash and bury itself in the monster, the har-
pooner exchange places with the boat steerer,
his long, cleaning lance in hand, and then be-
came sensible that the boat was being borne
with terrible swiftness beyond our ken. Less
and less it grew, now a small speck on the
horizon-then vanishing altogether.
"They may go at that pace for twenty
mile" said the veteran ''More than once
I've found myself out there Indicating the
horizonl, no land in sight, fast to whale,
an mebbe fog or storm comm up. The
chances are, though, that in mile or e,yo
the wiale'll lie on the water and sulk Then
the boat'll steal up and the cap'n'll give him
the death thrust with the lance. Them's
pretty excitin' times. Eve BEN thar often.
The blow grazes the black, shiny hide, the
cap'n thrusts; an when he pulls out the lance
. shower of blood follers, often drenching the
boats crew. II possible the lance is given
another thrust, then it's well to back water,
for the beast soon goes into the death furry,
an would break cast iron boat to pieces if
1t struck it. The whale sinks once it is dead,
and the linen mark its position by buoy
with flag attached. The sinking in deep
water is bad thing for the whalemen A
whale that sinks in 200 fathons is apt to stay
down.
On the beach the boat landed during the
night, and the men finding shelter at station
o, came into town in the morning reporting
having sunk the whale about ten miles out
On the third day the quarry is expected to
rise, and the men row out, returning with it
late at night Next morning there is quite
o stampede to view the monster, which has |
formed almost the sole topic of gossip in the |
stores for the past two nights 1t lies bump |
ing in the surf, having grounded some little |
way out, huge, black, shining mass, one fin |
upright, and the huge fukes swaying in the |
surf. Capt. Edwards is six feet high. but |
when he stands upright beside the fin his head |
Is on a level with its tip. The men swarm |
upon the whale like the Liliputians on Gull |
liver, maintaining their footing by sharp |
prods in their boots and by the stout hawser |
fastened round the flukes and carried to an |
anchor on shore. As it laws these four |
wagons and teams tandem" do not COM
pass its length, and two tall men one stand |
ing on the others head would not reach to its |
upper surface.
Edwards began operations by cutting with |
his spade deep incision in the neck forward |
OF the fin and continuing until he struck and |
unjointed the huge vertebre Next the Lin |
OF the head was taken Off exp ,sing the |
upright row of whaebone lining the cavity
OF the mouth with is hairy filamcnts, Lod by
the whale in straining the britt on which
It feeds. This is the most valuable part. bone
having ruled at times during the past few
years as high rs s. per pound Next the men
attack the body, cutting long burrows around
the animal and then by cross lines dividing
the blubbOr into large square sections. which
are towcd ;shore. The men work lively. for
. storm S iisblc TO break upon them at any
time anu sweep the prize from its hold
When one side has been stripped the huge
carcass is turned Mt flood tide and the re-
manning side stripped. Meantime far up the
beach un Ter the protecting ,,uncs prepara-
tions for trying the blubber are progressing
with vigor. The trypoes set il brickwork
will hold 50 gallons each and weigh 600
pounds. There isbut little wood beside each
ketSe-the scrapple will feed the fires, after
the hrst kettleful is boiled. The trying goes
on by night and by day.-Detroit Free
Press.
Markers Instead OF Pencils.